Category: Living the RV Dream blog post

Podcast Changes

Hello Happy Campers! This morning we’ll talk about Podcast Changes and how they will improve the Living the RV Dream Podcast. But first a little history.

Radio Days

In the fall of 2008, our son, who was a radio producer in Sarasota Florida, called us with a proposal. He had lost a sponsored show during the important Saturday morning “drive time”. Perhaps we could come in and do an RV show for him? We knew NOTHING about radio or broadcasting. Kathy and I looked at each other and said “why not?” That next Saturday morning, Living the RV Dream was born. Steve was a great coach and made us quite comfortable. “What should we say?”, we both asked. Steve said just talk about RVing, its your passion. And so we did. That was on WSRQ, a very small station with great reach due to an internet feed.

A Podcast is Born

We did the show every week for over 4 months and then it was time for us to get moving as it would soon be pretty hot in Florida. What about the show? We had now gained a nice sized internet audience anoong with some dedicated local listeners. That’s when I discovered podcasting. It was pretty new then having only been around for a few years, but I dived right in and learned all I could. Six weeks later we were ready and we launched our first podcast. That was LTRVD0001. The sound was a little rough around the edges, but were now broadcasters!

We grow as Podcasters

As we got more and more comfortable with doing the show, we learned how to make the sound better and invested in some new equipment to help us do the work easier. We started attending RV shows as members of the “Press”. What a hoot! We would get in free to events we loved and talk about them on our show. How cool was that?! We did many interviews with other RVers and folks in the RV industry. We started a little Facebook group for our listeners. I started a web site. We were filling up our retirement time as “Media People”…LOL! Then you listeners ganged up on us by email and said we needed to write a book of all things. And we did…twice.

Its 2017 Already

All that started 8 years ago. We’ve put a lot of miles on our rig, the Dream Machine since then. We were on the road a total of 12 years and loved every minute of it. Most of you know of Kathy’s near fatal illness 2 years ago that put her in the hospital for a month after major surgery. Then 2 more months of rehab here in Sarasota. She started getting stronger and better and we decided to answer another request from our listeners and have a rally. We have done 2 Living the RV Dream “Gatherings” since then. Early this year Kathy had another medical setback and we realized we would no longer be able to live on the road. We bought a house and said goodby to our faithful rig that carried us across the country so many times. Now it will serve a new owner and their RV Dreams.

Future of the Podcast

We have known for some time that we cannot keep up the podcast without actually RVing. This has been a gut-wrenching decision. We knew that the show should go on and it definitely will. Our friend Robert Morales will be taking over Living the RV Dream starting on Friday morning the 24th of this month. Robert has attended one of our Gatherings as well as interviewed us on his own “Traveling Robert” video series. He will bring new life to the podcast as well as a new perspective as a part time RVer. He has great talent as a videographer as well so expect to see some video content to the show. Here is the link to iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/living-the-rv-dream-with-traveling-robert/id1214836120 Please migrate over to that URL and continue to enjoy the Living the RV Dream podcast. Here is a link to his website http://www.travelingrobert.com/

Whats ahead for John and Kathy?

We are not going away from the RV scene just yet. We will guest host with Robert from time to time. We will maintain the Living the RV Dream website as well as the Facebook Group by the same name. Robert will take over the Living the RV Dream Podcast group. We are taking it day by day now as Kathy begins to build back her strength. I plan to get back to my new book project on RVing Arizona. We will still answer questions as well as we can from our email address at johnandkathyhuggins@yahoo.com .

Checking Your Stored RV

Its time to be checking your stored RV. It’s that time of year again; the weather is consistently more frigid, many areas are regularly experiencing snowfall, and most RV parks are looking fairly barren. Unless you’re one of the rare RVers who braves the elements or drives down South to wait out the winter, you’ve probably winterized your rig and put it away in storage for the season.

Preserving your RV’s health relies heavily on storing it properly when it won’t be used for an extended period, but once it’s safely tucked away, it’s important to check on it from time to time instead of forgetting about it until the temperatures warm up again. The sooner you catch any potential damage, the lesser the chance will be that your RV will experience any real issues. To help you out, here are a few things to check for when peeking in on your RV:

Are There Any Signs of Rodents?

Hopefully you took the time to inspect for any holes or openings before storing your RV, as insects and rodents will make use of any entrance they can find, no matter how small of a crack or gap it is. During colder months, rodents often seek safe harbor from the cold, and while you can’t blame them for wanting relief from the chilly, windy air, rodents can damage the interior of your rig, and even worse, they can chew through your RV’s electrical wires, resulting in the need for costly repairs. The main things to look out for are droppings and chew markings, which you’ll often see through any boxed, dry, or canned foods you have stored in your RV.

Is Any Mold or Mildew Starting to Form?

Moisture can easily enter an RV, especially if your RV isn’t stored in a dry, heated compartment. Mold and mildew can damage your RV, but it can also damage your health when inside of your RV, as you won’t be breathing clean air. Because your stored RV will most likely be closed off and not aired out, it’s much easier for mold and mildew to form. The signs of mold and mildew are mainly visible, but if you enter your RV and notice an unpleasant musty aroma, you should further inspect for any signs.

Here is where mold and mildew will most likely be found: • RV Awning–This one might not seem obvious, but if you cleaned your RV awning (as you really should) before storing it and rolled it up before it was thoroughly dry, you’ll want to make sure no spores are growing. • Shower • On, around, and underneath all sinks • Ventilation ducts • Around doors and windows • Water and sewage areas • Vents • Around pipes The earlier you catch any mold or mildew forming, the better off you and your rig will be. Some cases can be managed with mild spray, but others may require more rigorous methods.

Are All of the Contents Intact?

When you won’t be adventuring in your home-on-wheels for a long period of time, it’s always a good idea to check on it to make sure it hasn’t been broken into. Are the locks intact? Does everything seem to be in place? If something does seem to be missing, you probably won’t have much luck in reporting theft if the break in happened months earlier, which is another reason why regular check ups can be so beneficial.

How’s the Tire Pressure?

Cold air causes your tire pressure to deflate, and when stored for long periods of time, vehicles run the risk of developing flat spots on their tires. You can prevent this from happening by regularly making sure your tire pressure is set to the manufacturer’s recommendation. If it dips below, you probably want to fill them up with some air. Some RVers prop up their rigs on blocks so that the entire vehicle’s weight isn’t weighing down on the tires for the whole cold season.

Did You Get All of The Trash and Food?

When checking in on your home-on-wheels, you’ll want to do a thorough once-over before leaving it again. Hopefully you got all of the trash and perishables out when you first put the RV into storage, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to leave something behind. The last thing that you want is to enter your rig once the weather starts to warm up and smell something foul simply because you left a Tupperware container full of last season’s chili.

Coming to a Close

Hopefully this advice gives you an idea of why you should check in on your RV when it’s put away into storage, as well as what you should look for when you do pop in. When travel season is back in full swing, you don’t want to miss out on the first big road trip because your tires are flat or you have a bad case of mildew spreading around. That being said, here’s to a quick winter and a safe and adventurous return of prime RV season!

New Blog Author

This blog post was authored by Darla Preston. Email her at darlaontheroad@gmail.com

Seasonal RVer Gifts

Senior Park Pass Price Increase

Kathy discusses the pending congressional action that will raise the price of the Senior Pass that gets us free access to National Parks, Monuments, and other federal places. The current $10 lifetime pass will soon cost $80 and could go higher in ensuing years. Get it while you can.

Portable Propane Heaters

Tools for RVers

RV Books

Greg Gerber Visit

We are so very fortunate to have Greg Gerber, RV Journalist and editor of the RV Daily Report newsletter as well as the Lets RV newsletter. He is in town for a bit and joins us in the new recording studio in our new home.

RVing NH to FL

We’re RVing NH to FL on our way back from the Escapees Escapade in Essex Junction, VT. We cover our route and some of the issues we were faced with on our way home.

GPS Lies

We had one of those “GPS lies” moments in NH on US Rt 4 where we were supposed to detour but no road was selected. That put us on a one way trip up a 15 degree grade the wrong way. It was exciting to say the least.

Military FamCamps

We describe the Military FamCamps we stayed at in Georgia at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, and at the Aberdeen, MD Army Proving Ground. We also discuss some of the campgrounds we stopped at along the way.

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We managed to Visit Tarpon Springs, FL. Tarpon Springs is a beautiful gulf community founded in 1876. By 1895, sponge divers from The Florida Keys discovered sponge beds just off Tarpon Springs and the Sponge industry took off here.

Soon after, more than 500 Greek sponge divers were brought in and established the Greek enclave that is still there. or 30 years, the sponge industry was the largest industry in Florida—larger than citrus or tourism. Tarpon Springs was known as the “Sponge Capital of the World.”

In the 1950’s, a sponge blight essentially decimated the industry. New beds were discovered in the 1980’s and Tarpon Springs is again the natural sponge capital of the USA.

Tarpon Springs and especially the Sponge Docks area is now quite commercialized with many gift shops and sponge related sales. Fortunately, the Greek influence remains and there are many, many Greek restaurants and bakeries all around the town. Here is a picture of the one we had lunch at.

Our first stop was one of the 4 visitor centers operated by the Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce, http://tarponspringschamber.com/ We spent several hours walking up and down the main street by the sponge docks. What a fun place! There are still sponge boats at the docks, and several boat tours will take you out in the harbor and up the Anclote river to the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico. There are also several interesting museums dedicated to the sponge industry and the early history of the town. Add to that a beautifully maintained Greek Orthodox Cathedral and you will have a full day. Visit Tarpon Springs when you are in the area, you’ll be glad you did.